Southern California -- this just in

Suspicious object found at Disneyland was 'spiritual message'

March 3, 2012 | 12:59
pm

The suspicious object that forced Disneyland officials to lock down the theme park Saturday morning was a rolled-up piece of paper with a "spiritual message" discovered in a tree near the entrance, authorities said.

A Disney employee spotted the item in the tree outside a ticket booth shortly after 7 a.m. while greeting visitors at the park entrance, officials said.

Visitors were temporarily prohibited from entering the park, while those inside were prevented from leaving. Anaheim police officers were first on the scene, but the Orange County bomb squad was also called in.

The suspicious object was rolled up like a map, said Sgt. Bob Dunn of the Anaheim Police Department.

The paper had on it a "good-will, spiritual message," although it was not clear exactly what the message said, Dunn said.

The park was closed to visitors for several hours Saturday but reopened by 11 a.m.

"The safety of our guests and cast members is our top priority," Suzi Brown, a Disneyland Resorts spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement. "In an abundance of caution and to allow security teams the opportunity to learn more, we kept guests away from the area. Officials responded to an unknown object, which was determined to be harmless. The resort has reopened. We thank our guests for their patience."

"As a thank-you to our guests for their patience this morning, Disneyland Resort park hours have been extended tonight. Disneyland park will now close at 1 a.m. and Disney California Adventure park will close at 10 p.m. Also, an additional 'World of Color' show at Disney California Adventure has been added tonight at 10:15 p.m. and an additional "Fantasmic!" show at Disneyland has been added tonight at 11 p.m."